1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for recording a print order file in which information such as filenames of images to be printed and the number of copies thereof is written.
2. Description of the Related Art
“Print order” refers to information including the number of prints of images desired to be printed, a print format, the presence or absence of date information, etc.
A user confirms the contents of images within a removable medium by using a digital camera with an image display function or by using a printer. When the user wants to print an image, print order information is recorded as a print order file by operating a switch, etc. Furthermore, the print order information includes the name of the device used, the date of the print order, the name of the person who made the print order, the telephone number, etc.
As a print order file in which the print order is written, DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) is known. DPOF is a text file format and is formed of one header section and one or more job sections. In the header section, information common to the print order (the name of the device, the date, the name of the person, the telephone number, etc.) is written. A job section exists for each image to be printed. In each job section, the path within the removable medium, the format of the image, the number of copies to be printed, a character string to be written as additional information, etc., are written. In the DPOF, this print order file is specified so as to be stored under the filename of AUTPRINT.MRK in the MISC directory in the DCIM directory in the root directory of the removable medium, that is: \\DCIM\MISC\AUTPRINT.MRK.
By using the print order file, it has been possible to easily print and make copies of desired image data simply by bringing a removable medium in which the image data and the print order file are recorded to a print shop. Furthermore, in the case of a printer with a print order function, it is possible to print any desired number of the desired images simply by inserting the removable medium into the printer and by performing DPOF printing.
In the manner described above, the print order is intended for images within the removable medium, and is created in the device into which this removable medium is inserted, that is, a digital camera or a printer with a display function.
However, printing a plurality of images corresponds to printing additional copies of a photograph. Thus, there is a demand for people who desire an additional copy to select a desired photograph while viewing the photographs. When this print order is made with one digital camera, the number of persons who can perform the operation simultaneously is limited to one, and the above-described demand cannot be satisfied.
A method for selecting desired image data from the image data stored in another device is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-84473. In this method, image data of a reduced image, which is formed by reducing an original image, recorded at the transmission side, is transmitted to the receiving side, a list of reduced images received by the receiving side is displayed, and the image data of the original image corresponding to one or more reduced images, selected from within the list at the receiving side, is transmitted from the transmission side to the receiving side. This reference, however, does not disclose the creation of a print order at the device in which the original image data is stored.